The first woman Air Corps pilot in the 76-year history of the service was commissioned yesterday in the Curragh, Co Kildare. After 21 months of training, Cadet Ann Brogan from Dundrum has become a second lieutenant and will be posted to Baldonnel Aerodrome as a helicopter pilot.
Capt Roger McGrath, of the Defence Forces press office, said it was a great achievement by Cadet Brogan because "the training for pilots is tough and difficult, with a high failure rate". At the same time yesterday, the first woman equitation officer, Cadet Danielle Quinlivan, from Kanturk, Co Cork, was commissioned as a second lieutenant. She will be posted to the Equitation School at McKee Barracks, Dublin.
Women have been training in the Cadet School since 1980.
A Co Kildare footballer, Cadet Dermot Earley, of Newbridge, Co Kildare - a son of the former Roscommon footballer, Mr Dermot Earley Snr - received his commission in the Army as a second lieutenant. He will be posted to McKee Barracks.
The members of the 73rd Cadet Class were commissioned by the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith. Thirty-four cadets received commissions. Army Cadet Glen O'Grady, from Wexford, was student of the year. His brother Francis, also an Army cadet, took second place.
Earlier yesterday, the National Diploma in Military Studies had been conferred on the 27 Army cadets by the acting director of the National Council for Education Awards, Mr Seamus Puirseil. The seven Air Corps cadets had been given their "wings" at a ceremony at Baldonnel on June 12th.
This cadet class was the first to get its European Computer Driving Licence, a computer qualification that enables them to take advantage of the Defence Forces' computer technology, said Mr Puirseil.
Second Lieut Ann Brogan at yesterday's commissioning